Log Fourteen- I got my first interview!

So I just interviewed a recent fashion design graduate of Ryerson University who also makes tutus! I posted the interview on my SIG blog as well. Here it is...

As I had mentioned in my previous entry, back in grade 12 I tried to make a pancake style tutu for my art ISU. It was a disaster! I did not realise you have to be extremely skilled and that sometimes even all your textiles and design training cannot help you. I ultimately just created the long classic tutu instead. Ever since my failure with the pancake tutu I have been fascinated with people who can create these masterpieces but had not met anyone personally who could. Now I have! Alexandra Julian is one of the Mass Exodus designers who created a tutu line and was one of the few selected to showcase at the PR show. Here's a little snippet about the fresh out of school designer. "Alexandra Julian is a graduate of the Fashion Design program at Ryerson. She won 3rd place for Canada in the Triumph lingerie competition in 2011, and was selected for the curated collection that showcased the top 25 collections at Mass Exodus 2012. She likes to design and make ornate and elegant clothing, often inspired by historical fashion. She grew up in Kitchener and Toronto, and aspires to be a costume designer or fashion designer." I was fortunate enough to not only have her input but I am very excited that as my first interview on this blog she is a tutu designer. Here's what she had to say...

- What inspired you to do this tutu collection?


I started off with the idea of doing costume because I love extravagant clothing, period pieces, and classical beauty. I am a huge of fan of ballet and go often to see it because I have a very strong emotional connection with it; I'm not afraid to admit, I've cried watching Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Onegin! Seeing my first ballet, The Nutcracker, was also what inspired me to get into fashion in the first place, so ballet has a special place in my heart and has inspired me throughout the years. This particular collection is based on the original fairy tale of The Little Mermaid. It's my favourite fairy tale and I thought the idea of a fantastic world beneath the sea as well as the emotional and tragic plot would be beautifully interpreted through ballet. I actually read later on that it was originally intended to be a ballet!

- Has anyone inspired you in particular?

I take inspiration from many different sources, whether it be the dancers at the National, or my mother, or designers like Alexander McQueen... I find so many people inspiring!


- Do you have a background in dance?

Unfortunately, no (unless you count the few ballet classes I took as a 4-year-old). I wish I could have taken dance when I was younger, but I think it's never too late to start, and now that the collection is over, I am really looking to take some adult dance classes!

- What was the work process that went into making these?

There are so many steps to creating the whole collection, it's hard to think of them all! Basically it all started with the sketches, and then research and interviewing industry experts to develop target market and competitive analysis, then technical sketches, patterndrafting and muslin stages (for the unfamiliar, a muslin is a mock-up of a garment made in comparable cheap fabrics), and finally the actual construction of the final garments. The making of the final garments was the most trying part! It can take weeks for professionals to make one classical tutu, and I only had two weeks to make each garment on my own, while holding down a part-time job and internship! It was the craziest time, but I'm very proud of myself for making all the garments myself and it was a challenging experience that I learned a lot from.

- What sort of materials did you use?
I used a lot of synthetics because they are cheaper for a costume budget, and because I did a lot of heat cutting in my collection. It's not easy to see from a distance, but all the scales and chiffon on the mermaid tutu and the grey chiffon pieces on the sea witch tutu were heat cut using a soldering tool. Because the fabrics are synthetic, when the edges are cut with the soldering tool, the edges melt creating a nice sealed edge that won't fray and it allows for so many interesting shapes to be cut out, without having to worry about finishing the edges. All of the costumes are lined with cotton however, so that they would be comfortable if used for dancing!


- What are you hoping to achieve with the designs especially now you have graduated?

Since costumes are usually made for specific productions, unless someone wants to choreograph The Little Mermaid ballet, there isn't much I can do unfortunately. If there is interest however, I'm considering selling them to dancers for competitions or perhaps some dance companies in need of costumes. I hope to be a costume designer in the future, and I feel this collection shows the skill, commitment, and passion I possess for costumes. I am still very interested in fashion design, however, and want to keep my options open. I think these designs are still relevant to showing my skills as a fashion designer.

I want to thank Alexandra for taking the time out to answer my questions. I love the fact she is inspired by ballet AND Alexander McQueen. My type of designer! You can find more pictures and info here on the Mass Exodus website Mass Exodus or you can look at Flare Magazine's "124 Looks From Ryerson's Mass Exodus 2012 Show" here Flare Magazine Website. 

All photos taken by Michael Ho.

Log Thirteen- Results on the poll

So again I have been lacking the attention on this blog. April is my busiest month with Mass Exodus (The Ryerson fashion students graduation show), shoots and FAT (Fashion Alternative Toronto week). Mass Exodus was great. Got a huge response due to this outfit I chose to wear, designed by Lia Valdez (photo by Michael Ho)...

So the results are in from the poll and it looks like the winner was, "It's who you know." To be perfectly honest I wasn't surprised. The next poll I will be doing is, "How much detail to fashion do you pay attention to in your everyday life?"
I'm also thinking more about my award title and I keep getting drawn to "Fashion Communication". After finding a description on the TFS Fashion Spot website http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f90/fashion-communications-66162.html that describes "Fashion Communication" as this;

Specialization in Fashion Communication also begins in second year. Business-related courses in areas such as marketing, business, communication, fashion in international markets, fashion and society are combined with professional studies in communication design, illustration, typography, curation and exhibition, photography, video production and fashion journalism to produce a graduate who can work in all areas of fashion communication. Through the selection of elective courses in second, third and fourth year, students may elect to pursue a minor or to otherwise customize their elective package to focus on their individual career objectives. Students also work in teams to produce a series of fashion events culminating in the year-end fashion presentation, attended by over 3,500 people, including industry and media representatives.

I think that perfectly describes what I am doing now. What do you think?

Also in other news, now that I have finished and passed my French level IV course I have signed up for the jewelry design course at George Brown to hone my skills on my jewelry making. Here's an example of one of my designs. Model is Tara Wright, photography by Stephen M. Loban, hair by Linda Radan and swimsuit and makeup done by Lisa Jackson.

Finally I would like to add, I stumbled across this great blog by one of the dancers of the National Ballet of Canada where she blogs about the connection between dance and the fashion world. It's a really great read, definitely give it a look! Haute BALLERINA Couture

Log Twelve- Feedback coming in already for poll from SIG blog...

So after posting my first poll it's great to see I am already getting back peoples' opinions. So far a total of nine people have voted on my question, "Can one be successful in the fashion industry with basic knowledge of fashion or is a broader knowledge the only successful path (for models, designers, photographers, makeup artists, etc)?" Out of the nine, three voted, "Basic knowledge is acceptable as long as you are up to date with current names, events, etc." One voted, "No! Completely unacceptable, must have a vast knowledge of fashion history as well as current, business, marketing, etc." And five voted, "It makes no difference. It is all about who you know." For a while questions one and three were at a tie until recently which I was not expecting but at the same time didn't really anticipate any of the answers. I am surprised how only one person voted for the second question. Can't wait to see what other results I get back from future polls and tomorrow I'll be conducting my interviews during tomorrow's show. Below is the poster...

As a reminder you can find my SIG blog through this link; http://communicatedfashion.blogspot.ca/. I would love to hear your feedback and maybe your thoughts on fashion effect in the performing arts world?

Log Eleven- Last post for today I swear! Task 4b!

I have created my SIG in blog form titled "The Business of Fashion" to find out people's success and views in the world of fashion. I even posted my first poll, "Can one be successful in the fashion industry with basic knowledge of fashion or is a broader knowledge the only successful path (for models, designers, photographers, makeup artists, etc)?" It's still a work in progress and trying to still gain followers but that's how I use social networking to my advantage. Yay! Have a look and tell me what you think...http://communicatedfashion.blogspot.ca/

Log Ten- Task 4a and thinking more about my Professional Inquiry

So I know that what I'm doing is very different from what a lot of you on the course are doing but I am hoping some of you can relate to any of the questions I post and give me your input.
I am trying to focus more on the fashion aspect of this industry. Surprisingly a lot of models do not take an interest or let the fashion world have an effect on their jobs and daily lives even though their careers are based on wearing these items. They are the props of fashion. Since I deal with jewelry design and styling on top of the modeling I want to get a perspective on both sides, the designing and the modeling, and see if I can merge them into one collective group of questions.
I am very exciting since on Thursday I will be participating in a fashion show with the majority of models and designers being my friends and/or people have worked with numerous times. I've been given permission by my friend Andy Jones (designer) to interview both the models and designers in the shows with my questions. Andy Jones and Christopher J. Nevin are two of the three designers being showcased that night who I have both worked with before. I styled this shoot for Andy's dress (model is Kelleth Cuthbert)...

And this is from one of the many shows I walked in for Christopher J. Nevin...

For the designers here is a few examples of inquiry I am interested in:
- Before starting a particular project or a new line where do take your inspiration from?
- What effects your inspiration or work on a design? Do you research into a particular time period? Are you effected by nature? Architecture? World issues or politics?
- What is the work process that goes into making one of your designs?
- What is the market you are targeting?
- What is your ultimate goal in making your designs? Is it consumer based or art based?
- Must one have a complete understanding of the history of fashion to make it in this industry or can one get by on just the current names and events? How much knowledge is needed to be successful?
As for the models I am interested to know:
- Before attending a casting do you research on the designer/product/photographer/etc that you are attending the casting for?
- Do allow fashion to be an important part of the casting i.e. do you wear the designers work or do you stick to the form fitting black outfit but still focus on the fashion names in the items that you wear?
- Do you have a lot of general knowledge about the fashion industry? If so was this an interest before the modeling or did you research this in order to have a better understanding and help your chances of getting the job at the end of the day?
- Are you thinking of developing skills to help gain more jobs? i.e. Dance, acting skills, second language, etc.
- Are you interested in developing skills outside of the modeling but still in the fashion industry? For example, skills in photography, makeup artistry and even fashion design.
Then more similar questions I want to know from both groups are:
- Who or what inspires you to do what you do?
- How do you handle rejection?
- Do you analyse after rejection?
- Do you believe you have the knowledge and skills that you will need for the future in this industry or do you feel you still need more?
Most importantly I want to know:
- How do you make your business (the business of you and/or your designs) successful?
I also want to integrate the modeling and fashion design questions into two different questions. For the designers I would like to know, what do you look for in a model when you set up a casting for your designs? And for the models I would like to know, is fashion and fashion design knowledge a big part in your life and job?
As for the performing arts students in this course I would love to know if fashion effects your career decisions? Do you focus on what to wear for auditions or job interviews? Will you research into a particular dance clothing company for auditions or company class? Does a brand effect your performance on stage or in class at all? Is fashion design (shoes, leotards, etc) an important part for a dancer in general?
I would love to hear what you guys think! Has anyone delved into the costume department of the performing arts world at all?
I've also began to think about my award title. I figure it will have to obviously be involved with Fashion, I just don't know what aspect.
I am going to leave you now with a trailer from a movie a saw this weekend for the Canadian Film Festival. It is called "Material Success" and it is a documentary following Bruno Ierullo (who I modeled for a few weeks ago) and the process that goes into creating one of his fashion shows. If you get the chance it is a very interesting watch just to see the work and inspiration that goes into fashion design. You even see a little bit of the models side of this industry. Enjoy...
Material Success

Log Nine- Finally onto Module 2

After having a lovely chat with Paula today, things are becoming a little clearer on this course and it has made me really considering where I would like this course to take me and my career. I am still looking at the business side of the modeling and fashion world but maybe delve back into the styling and jewelry making aspect of it a bit more. I have even been considering taking a course in jewelry design at my old college George Brown which I attended before I studied at Cambridge Performing Arts College in the UK (Bodywork Studios). This was actually first brought up by my boyfriend's Dad in the Christmas time which I am starting to think about more seriously. Here is an example of some of my jewelry which appeared in San Francisco fashion magazine "Votive Magazine"...

 I have also told Paula how I am now being a little more picky when it comes to my modeling jobs. I have been so overwhelmed with castings, fittings and etc when most of the these jobs are free, which I mentioned briefly in my last post. I feel I have done enough free jobs in my career to make the networks and connections I have today plus I need to focus on this. Getting my degree is very important to me. I am very excited to begin the inquiry and have already listed a few questions in my head. In the meantime I am off to a fitting for a paid bridal shoot which I got from doing a previous free shoot with the photographer. It was a shoot for "bridal swimwear" called Mantah Swimwear. Here's an example from a poster for it...

I will post some (or hopefully all) of the number four tasks by tonight. If anyone is interested in seeing more of my work since I cannot post it all here have a look at my Facebook fanpage http://www.facebook.com/Victoria.Ellingham and/or follow me on twitter, username @Tori_Hearts.

Log Eight: Task 3c and playing catch up

So, to put it bluntly, this month has been hell! I have seen a dark side of this industry that I knew existed but tried to ignore. Toronto Fashion Week has come and gone. It was probably one of the worst experiences of my modeling career. The castings were nightmares! For example, one designer bluntly made ten girls leave her tiny hotel room humiliating them in front of us. The four girls who she picked, that included me, were made to walk back and forth in a slow "sexy" walk for an hour and a half in this cramped hotel room. After practising for an hour and a half, the designer not once looking at us, told the group, "Thank you, we'll let you know tomorrow." After all that we weren't guaranted to be in her show! None of us got picked to walk for her. My agency was fantastic and sent me to many castings but with Toronto's still very apparent old fashioned views stuck in the designers' and organisers' minds I only got one show which I was quickly cut from. They told me it was because they cut my outfits which was not true. I saw both my outfits still on the runway plastered all over the internet. They had cut every boy and girl from my agency. I will never know the real reason we were cut but it hurts and since then I have had more disappointments. I've been delaying writing more posts simply because I have been running around this city like a headless chicken only to find disappointment after disappointment, so when I did find the time to write I felt embarrassed to write that I had been unsuccessful. There have been some good moments. Last weekend I walked for Bruno Ierullo (http://www.brunoierullo.com/) on a 420 foot runway. It was a huge production and a lot of fun. Even some of the top models of the world will never get to experience a show like this.

The bad experiences have made me start to think, how much longer do I want to be in this world? You go through so much pain, mentally and physically, for something that isn't well paid and sometimes (most of the time actually) free shows or shoots. I almost fully gave up on the modeling but obviously that's not the best option especially after just signing with Icon. I am going to try and get into for of the commercial side of modeling and even try to break into the acting scene here. The problem with doing fashion in Toronto is that it isn't a fashion city, not yet at least. The movie industry is booming here and there is constant work according to someone I met from the film industry here the other day. I am going to talk to my agency  about getting more acting jobs or even find a predominantly acting agent.   

Now onto Task 3C...

My number one important source of information is Model Mayhem. Not only are job postings constantly being renewed on this site for Toronto and international modeling jobs, insiders share tips, information, people who to be careful working with, the best agencies, etc. It is extremely helpful for me.

Another source I find very important is obviously Facebook. Again not only is it a website to socialise, find jobs and stay connected with people I work with, I can look at other models' profiles, pictures and work and learn from what they are doing. I like to study their poses and facial expression so I can learn what is best for me.

Twitter is extremely important, from this I have learned a lot from when and where events are taking place and if they need models, sometimes stylist jobs (which has been taking a slight back seat for the modeling at the moment). I can also read international models' Tweets about their experiences and what they see, like Jessica Stam.

Another source I use, mostly for styling or for getting ideas on outfits intended for go sees, is Look Book (http://lookbook.nu). People from around the world post their stylish outfits, from models to bloggers to stylists, share tips and tell others where to get these great items.

Finally a very important source for me is the free local newspaper Now Magazine (http://www.nowtoronto.com/). Not only does it have what is happening in Toronto, important issues and upcoming events but they post a lot of jobs in the classifieds especially for modeling and acting.

So I will try to post more, unfortunately the busy season is not over for me yet and I still have to decide where I want to go from here with my career. The most important part of my life right now though is getting through this course and maybe it can help me with my ultimate decision. Unfortunately with my career being so difficult and busy I'm finding this hard but I am going to try more from now on.